Ladies and gents, it's time to shape up our image. Or perhaps try to shape up someone else's?
This is Day 1 of Charleston's Grit's 12 Days of Fashion: Loves & Loathes, running right up to the start of Baker Motor Company Charleston Fashion Week. What does this mean? Well, straighten your fedora, step into your heels, cinch your belt—it's time to play fashion editor for a day.
For the next 12 weekdays, we'll run a different LOVE and LOATHE look or trend, submitted by you. A style that, in your opinion, looks good, anytime, anyplace... And one that never, ever will. As in, it doesn't matter how many times it appears on the runway or on the pages of Vogue, or sported by scores of normally fashion-forward people, it's ugly. We're talking looks past and present, like peplum, animal prints, baby tees on 60-year-olds, neon, and certainly LOCAL LOOKS like critter pants, etc. The more connected it is to our Charleston lifestyle, the better.
Fun stuff. Kind of like sitting behind a desk looking at snapshots, a la Anna Wintour, and saying, "Yes, yes, yes, NO. NEVER." (Feel free to bring the attitude along with you...) Instructions for submitting listed at bottom.
AND NOW....
DAY 1:
Submitted by Charleston magazine style editor and CFW creative director Ayoka Lucas
LOVE: Leather
"I have buckets of fashion love for leather—it may be an endless love! It's such a great transitional fabric and in efforts to be animal friendly, Vegan leather has really come a long way in this trend. Designers are doing impeccable jobs of creating every silhouette with leather including pencil skirts, peplum details, tank tops, cigarette pants, biker jackets (a wardrobe essential every season) and of course... accessories! The benefit here is that you can wear a classic style in an edgy fabric! Best of both chic worlds! Such a sophisticated way of rockn' out!"
LOATHE: Chronic Flip-Flop Use
"I know this is a beach town. I get it! However, once you leave the beach, I think the flip flops need to go back in the beach bag! There is an epidemic of flip flop abuse going on in this city. NO, you cannot wear flip flops with a party dress or furthermore (guys and gals) to the party! When I see this my feeling are instantly hurt. If it's nighttime, you MUST wear what I call 'nighttime shoes'... a heel, wedge, boot, loafer, etc! Dare I say, I may hate this more than the 'comfort' boots, Uggs, and the color brown!"
P.S. Keep an eye out for Ayoka's new blog, stylePublic, set to launch in a couple of weeks! stylePublic: a culture club, will deliver public access to style exclusives on music, art, fashion and everything in between, narrated by global "cool kids" and style insiders from Charleston, North Carolina, Atlanta, New York and London. And we'll carry her blogs on Grit, too, so stay tuned.
NOW. Ready to sound off on your rants and raves for Grit's 12 Days? Let's do it.
Here's how to enter:
2. List one look you love and one you hate. Each should be accompanied by a) a quote about why b) a picture or two illustrating the look.
3. List the online source of any images submitted. We need to credit them correctly.
4. Include first name, general occupation, age, and the part of town in which you live. These will be listed with each submission used.
We'll run as many as we can! The more colorful the commentary, the better. So go ahead, give us your Fashion Grit.
